It's all the same now
by Miskit
Summary: Cale and Akima didn’t escape the Valkyrie after the discovery of Korso’s true intentions for them and the Titan. Akima is hurt, the crew splits up, and feelings are strung tight to a breaking point between Cale and Korso. Eventual yaoi.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Cale and Akima didn't escape the Valkyrie after the discovery of Korso's true intentions for them and the Titan. Akima is hurt badly and Cale is forced to work with Korso if he doesn't want the young pilot to suffer anymore than she already has. The crew split up, feelings are strung tight to a breaking point between Cale and Korso...what will happen when the string breaks and all bottled up emotions are suddenly let out all at once? What will become of the Titan and the humans that have been caught up in her fate?

Disclaimer: I don't own it, what made you think I did to begin with?

::Warnings:: How do I put this lightly? ...this story, yes, this one you are reading right here, is a **yaoi** story. A **homosexual male relationship **will blossom and grow with the course of the tale and yes... the relationship will be obvious, it will no**t** be simply hinted at. If you don't like this, don't read it, that's why God invented the 'Back' button.

Chapter One

Obsession is a bad thing. Everyone and anyone will tell you that... but at what point exactly does attraction and interest become obsession? Is there a mark of separation between them, or are they the same thing with different names? And if that's the case, then where does love fit into the picture?

Always thinking of that one person, always putting their best interest before your's. Watching them ,dreaming of them, wanting to protect them and to be their everything - everything that they will ever, could ever need. Loving them, wanting them... To hear and see them everywhere and in everything you do, wasn't that nothing short of obsession? Doesn't love fit the definition well? And yet, everyone will tell you that love is a good, healthy thing.

And at the same time, doesn't obsession fit the definition of love? When you really think about it, love IS obsession and obsession IS love.

It doesn't make sense.

For Cale Tucker this contradiction is a serious problem. Cale is in love with a girl. Cale is obsessed with a man. If the words differ in definition, and yet are the same in layman's terms, wouldn't that mean that Cale was so in love that he was obsessed with this girl, and so obsessed that he loved this man?

Cale shook his head roughly, head throbbing with frustration and confusion. He had been thinking of love and obsession all evening and it was really beginning to take a toll on his patience and energy levels...both already at their all-time lows before the notions had even entered his head. But even after many hours of thinking and rethinking everything through, it still didn't make any sense to Cale.

The girl he loves, well, her name is Akima Kunimoto. She's beautiful and smarter in mind and mouth then any other girl Cale had ever met before. She's passionate too, head strong and just as stubborn as he was... possibly even more so. She made him smile and he had fallen in love with her before he had even realized he was falling in the first place.

The man he was obsessed with, his name is Joseph Korso, captain of the Valkyrie and formerly an officer in the Earth Human Corps. He's a wise ass, plain and simple. He's also hands down, no questions asked, the most annoying person Cale had ever had the honor and misfortune to meet. He knew his father at one time, helped him with the 'Titan Project' and had been a close friend of the deceased professor before his disappearance. Korso just fascinates him, Cale doesn't know why, he just does.

Being so in love that he has become obsessed with Akima is fine. That doesn't bother Cale at all; he loves her, so who cares? But to be so obsessed with Korso that he loves the older man... that was a problem and Cale wasn't sure how he felt about it. He trusted Korso, of course, and respected him and actually kind of idolized him. He cared about Korso's well being just about as much as he cared about Akima's.

Wait...

Isn't all of that basically what the definition of love is? To trust and respect, care about and fell intense liking for something or someone?

Cale groaned and pressed the palm of his hand against his forehead. Way to go...he had successfully confused himself even more so then before.

"Cale?"

Cale looked up at the sound of his name, wide green eyes blinking in surprise to find Akima staring back at him with that quirky half smirk she always wears when he did something she didn't understand. Her dark brown eyes shining with amusement at him and purple strands of hair curving with the line of her jaw and cheek bones. She was as beautiful as he remembered her being the last time he had seen her earlier that day and currently, she was carrying a crate of their bottled beverages with a large brown paper sack balancing precariously on top of it.

"What are you doing?" She asked him, tone rising in pitch with good humor, "Lazing about like an old bum again?"

"No, I was just thinking." He smiled, mood having already lifted just at the sight of her.

"About what?"

"Nothing important..."

"Hmm, right." She quirked a brow at him, "Don't start thinking to hard though. You might hurt yourself."

"Oh, ha ha," Cale snorted, "How creative."

"Well, if you're all done here," Akima spoke slowly, thrusting the crate into his arms and taking the sack for herself, "why not make yourself useful and give me a hand?"

"Like you've given me a choice?" Cale gave a low chuckle, sneaking a peek into the girl's bag to see that it was full of food. "What's all this for anyway?"

"The basics." Akima smiled at him, "Drifter colonies are the best to pick up plasma packs, fuel cells. Frozen burritos. This stuff comes in handy when you're trading for Earth trinkets too."

"So..." Cale gave her an odd look as she led him through the Valkyrie, "were gonna barter this stuff for more of that Earth junk?"

"Don't you get it, Cale?" Akima asked in a voice that smiled as it strained to make him understand, "That 'junk' is all that's left of the place we came from. It...reminds us of all the things we miss."

"Mmm...miss." Cale rolled his eyes, "Like those frozen burritos you were talking about."

Akima laughed, the sound like a small twinkling bell in Cale's ear, broadening his smile.

"Who do you think you are?"

"At least they don't jump off your plate." Cale continued over another voice that was steadily growing louder as they made to pass by the captain's quarters, Akima laughed again agreeing with Cale.

"Do you think this is some kind of _game_?"

The smiles on Cale and Akima's faces washed away as swiftly as they had appeared, both sharing a questioning look with the other as they stopped just outside the captain's door. Concern washed over them both, neither having ever heard the man speak with such a tone to his voice before.

"Did you forget the plan? _I _bring you the Titan. _I _get rich!"

Cale frowned. Something was very wrong here, something was off and he didn't like it. It was Korso shouting on the other side of the door, that he knew for sure, but his voice... it just wasn't the voice of the Joseph Korso Cale knew. His Joseph Korso's voice was smooth and rich with wit and kindness, this voice was hard and dripped with an ice cold venom that should only accompany a horribly violent person. It sounded as though some stranger was talking through the older man and that thought, strangely, really hit Cale hard in the pit of his stomach. It upset him in a way he hadn't thought something like a change in tone could.

"We had a deal! Right?"

Cale peeked inside the dark room, curiosity and concern getting the better of him, and had to strain his eyes to accommodate for the lack of lighting. A strange and eerie blue, static-like glow was filling the room, providing just enough lighting for Cale to see Korso standing tensely at his holographic communications projector, his back to the door. The blond heard Akima gasp quietly beside him, following her gaze until he saw what had startled the girl... there, presented in all the intimidating glory that came with her, was the holographic image of the Drej leader and queen.

"How dare you try to cut me out like that!" Korso bellowed furiously, jabbing his finger towards the door to make a point.

Cale ducked his head back when the older man gestured towards the door, from his angle it looked as though he were pointing directly at him. But the moment passed and Korso returned to facing the Drej leader, glaring like Cale had never seen him glare before.

"_We will do as we please to ensure the Titan's destruction." _The Drej's static voice vibrated sharply in the ears of the humans, pulling a slight wince out of Cale.

"Yeah?" Korso growling voice drew Cale's attention back to his now angrily pacing form. "Do as you please, and guess what: you'll retrieve nothing!" His voice shifted into a mock that held on to its previous fury, "You don't have the whole map - the kid's got it. And I've got the kid!"

Cale's lips parted, his brows tightening into an irritated frown as he listened to the older man. Korso was talking about him, flaunting the fact that he had Cale onboard his ship. The blond felt his hand clenching into a fist around the lightly glowing map on the palm of his right hand. Korso was... using him. Cale closed his eyes for a moment, relaxing his hand and bowing his head ever so slightly. A jolt of pain had shot through him as realization of the situation sunk in... he had been used the entire time. Korso was using him, was with the Drej and was using him.

Cale opened his eyes as Korso's voice reached his ears again, the green orbs now hard with anger and betrayal.

"So you keep your drones off my back, or so help me..." Korso clenched a fist and held it up for the Drej to see, his face twisted into a vicious snarl, "_I'll_ rip his heart out!"

Cale froze, suddenly horrified of the man he had come to trust so completely. He couldn't believe it... Korso had betrayed him, was threatening him, and the captain didn't seem to have any qualms about it at all. A touch to Cale's shoulder snapped him out of his daze and he glanced back at Akima.

"Cale, come on..." She pulled at his arm, moving to walk hurriedly away. The cock-ing of a gun stopped her and she dropped her bag in alarm as they both came face to face with the barrel of a plasma gun.

"Going somewhere?" Preed sneered nastily at the two, forcing them through the captain quarters door, "Look what I found." The akrennian announced loudly as he shoved his captives through the door, "Two little birdies itchy to fly."

Korso glared hotly, the holographic communicator shutting down and the lights of the room snapping on immediately. The older man crossed his arms, clearly on the defensive. "How long were they standing there?"

"Long enough." Akima glared, voice hard and accusing.

"You lied." Cal stepped forward towards the captain, his face torn and twisted with hurt and confusion and anger. He pressed a hand to his chest, voice having risen slightly in pitch. "Everything you said, everything you told me..."

"Not everything..." Korso smirked that smile of his, the lopsided one that Cale had always secretly enjoyed seeing. Now, Cale wanted nothing more than to just slap the look straight off the older man's face. "Your father hid a ship. Then the Drej killed him," His voice became harsh and he jabbed a threatening finger in Cale's face, "all because he couldn't face the truth."

"Yeah?" Cale squared his shoulders, lifting his chin pridefully. He hardened his voice, green eyes having now become hard, sharpened pieces of jade glass. "What is the truth?"

"That the human race is outta gas." He took a step closer to Cale, making a spinning funnel motion with a finger, "It's circling the drain. It's finished!"

Cale's mouth hung open, eyes widening in alarm and stepping back from the man as he got closer. What was wrong with him? What had happened? Had Korso always been like this and he had just been too blind and stupid to notice?

"The only thing that matters is grabbing what you can before somebody else beats you to it!" Korso snarled into Cale's face, a crazed look in his dark eyes.

"No." Cale snapped, challenging Korso by stepping back towards the man, "I don't believe that."

"Then you're even more like your father then I thought..." Korso moved to turn his back on Cale, glancing back just long enough to shoot out one last comment. "...a fool."

That was enough to make Cale snap and he launched himself forward towards Korso, meaning to tackle him to the ground and beat some sense into the older man. But his attack was anticipated and Korso smoothly sidestepped the blond and slammed the young man back onto a table. He then grabbed Cale up by his shirt collar, slamming a fist down into his jaw twice before the teen slumped down to the floor.

An angry shout of pain caught Korso's attention and he looked back in time to see Akima bite into the arm Preed had wrapped around her neck to secure her. He glared angrily, looking back down to Cale as the teen began to move again. He reached for the blond, only to have a bottle of glowing green liquor smashed in his face. He stumbled, sputtering loudly as he tried to wipe the liquid from his angry eyes. Cale took this as the perfect opportunity to escape and pushed Akima out the door before Preed or Korso could regain their composure and stop them.

"Stop them..." Korso gritted out at Preed, pulling himself up off the floor as the akrennian bounded out the door. He hurried out too, turning to the control system near the room as he saw Cale and Akima bolt towards the stairs. "Stay on 'em. I'll lock it down."

Preed fired wildly at the two runaways, missing each time as he tried to keep up with them. They dashed throughout the Valkyrie, desperate to reach the dock door before the other. They soon came to the short hall where the door was located, and Cale could see it closing down as they sprinted as fast as they could.

A sudden burst of pain shot up from Cale's leg, making the young man cry out in shock before he fell over to the floor. Preed had finally hit him and he could hear the akrennian gaining on them swiftly. He looked up to Akima as the girl started to rush back towards him.

"Cale..!"

"No! Go!" Cale shoved her away as she attempted to kneel down beside him, "The door is closing, Akima! Hurry! Go!"

"But Cale-"

"Akima, go!" Cale all but screamed at the girl as Preed came thundering down the hall, the sound of Korso shouting close behind him also reaching his ears.

Akima looked torn, standing and looking between Cale and then the door several times before she bolted back towards the now more then half way closed door. She dropped down, rolling beneath it and then making a wild dash towards the door on the other end that would safely deliver her to the drifter colony of New Bangkok.

Preed jumped over the lame Cale, slamming into the door and glaring out the small window at the girl running for the colony door. He dropped down, firing the plasma gun twice through the steadily closing space between the door and the floor. The door closed and Cale stared in horror at Preed as the akrennian straightened up to glare out the window again - a pleased smile spread across Preed's face and Cale's heart practically stopped as he announced that he had hit Akima.

"Akima!" Cale cried out, pulling himself unsteadily to his feet only to be grabbed by the back of his neck and slammed into the wall. He winced, his head coming into contact with the unyielding steel, and looked up into the dark eyes of an enraged Korso.

"That was a stupid thing you pulled there, Cale." Korso snarled into Cale's face, holding the boy up against the wall by his shirt collar. "Did you think I'd just let you escape? Huh?"

Cale lifted his hand and pushed it forward into Korso's face, attempting and failing to dislodge the older man from him. His attempt only earned him a shift punch to his stomach and he doubled over with a winded gasp.

"Open the doors." Korso ordered to Preed, "Bring in the girl."

"You bastard!" Cale shouted angrily, struggling to break free again as Preed opened the doors and exited out onto the dock way to retrieve Akima's body. "You lying son of a bitch! You used me!"

"Alls fair in love and war, Cale. And we're in a war." Korso tossed Cale down to the floor again, "I'll do what I have to and step on whoever I need to to make sure I don't come out on the bottom when it's all said and through."

Cale landed roughly on all fours and stayed like that, the pain in his leg becoming nearly unbearable. He bowed his head down against the pain, biting down on his bottom lip so hard that the taste of his own copper blood filled his mouth. He fisted his hands, body ridged and shaking with anger and pain. So this is the thanks he got for trusting someone...

"You're a liar." Cale forced out, not moving from his position. "You're a frig'n liar and I believed you."

Korso chuckled bitterly, mockingly even. "You'll see Cale. You come to see things my way soon enough."

Cale shot up on his feet, hands still fisted, ignoring the pain it shot through his body from his leg. He opened his mouth to snarl out a response, green eyes blazing with anger and betrayal but was cut off as Preed came wandering back through the door with Akima now hanging over his shoulder. Cale's eyes immediately fell on the badly bleeding wound at her left shoulder, the hole from the plasma blast positioned just below her collar bone and just above where her heart would beat.

"Akima!" Cale tried to approach Preed and Akima, feeling nauseous at th sight of all the blood on the wounded girl, but was caught by the upper arm bu Korso.

"Ah ah..." Korso chided the blond, pulling him aside as Preed passed by with Akima's body. "Unless you'd rather she die, I suggest not going anywhere near her and just obeying what I'm fixing to tell you, Cale."

"Why the hell should I listen to anything more you have to say?" Cale snarled angrily, tearing out of Korso's hold and then wincing painfully at the jolt it caused his leg.

"Because I'm sure you'll find it Akima's best interest to do so." Korso threatened coldly, grabbing Cale by the arm and carelessly dragging him further back inside the ship.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cale grimaced painfully as he was forced to follow the captain, struggling to free his arm as he went and failing to do so miserably.

Korso didn't respond and simply shoved Cale through the door as they came to the medical room. He shoved Cale again, towards the operation table. "Take off your pants."

"Excuse me?" Cale turned to look the older man up and down incredulously.

Korso smirked, crossing his arms. "Would you rather have your wound go untreated and take a chance with getting it infected and having to have it removed?"

"No..." Cale regarded Korso uncomfortably.

Korso rolled his eyes coming up to the blond and pressing down on his shoulders to get him to sit down on the table. "Fine. Just sit down, Cale." He squatted down in front of Cale, rolling up the blond's pant leg with the most care and gentleness he had shown so far the entire evening. He chuckled softly, looking up at Cale as he carefully probed at the bleeding wound. "He got you pretty good. It isn't so bad as it could have been, but you'll be in pain for a good while. It still isn't deep enough though for me to use the prob to heal it though."

"What's your point then." Cale snapped, angry and bitter about the whole thing. He was confused too - it was as though Korso had suddenly had a memory lapse and his entire personality was shifted back to the old captain Cale had thought he'd known so well. Talk about a mood swing.

"My point is that you'll live, kid." Korso stood back up, moving over to the nearby sink and taking a rag from one of the cabinets and soaking it. He rang it out and turned to come back and squat in front of Cale, "Which is good news for me since you're the only one that can find the Titan for me."

"Hey! What makes you think I'm going to help you? After all this? I don't fucking thinks so you back stabbing son of a -!" He bellowed angrily, but was cut off as Korso applied pressure to the wound on his leg with the wet rag. He jerked violently, hands coming down to grip the sides of the table as a pained gasp escaped his lips.

"See... I figured you'd say something like that, but I afraid you really don't have a choice anymore but to help me, Cale." Korso let off on the pressure he was putting down onto the wound, returning to carefully cleaning it out. "That is, so long as you value Akima and the rest of the crew's lives."

Cale peeled his tightly clamped eyes open, glaring down at Korso in confusion, "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that you either come with me, leave New Bangkok on another ship that's waiting just down the flight dock, and show me the way to the Titan..." Korso explained Cale's options slowly, "or something unfortunate just might happen to Akima, Stith, and Gune."

Cale stared down at Korso as everything sank in. "Are you saying that you'll... kill them if I refuse?"

"Kill is such a nasty word, but... ya. That's more or less what I'm saying."

Cale stared down at Korso unseeingly. Nothing made sense anymore... where had Korso, the Joseph Korso he had been so obsessed with that he had loved, gone to? Where was the man that had often sat and laughed with him? Who had let him race with WakeAngels and talked with him about a father he had never really known? Had he ever really existed to begin with or was this back stabbing, black mailing Korso crouched down before him really the true Joseph Korso all along - who had just been pretending to be someone else to gain his trust long enough to find what he wanted and then betray him in the worst possibly way?

Korso smirked as he straightened himself up, clapping Cale on the shoulder, taking his silence as a good thing. "I knew you'd see things my way, kid."

Cale seemed to snap somewhat out of his daze as Korso patted his shoulder firmly, he turned his eyes to follow the older man's back as he returned to the sink to wash out the blood streaked rag. How could he have been so blind to the truth?

"Now come on. You're leg'll be fine." Korso ordered as he turned back around, flinging the rag against the sink and leaving it there. "We've got business to take care of, goodbyes to say, and another ship to board."


	2. Chapter 2

Summary: Cale and Akima didn't escape the Valkyrie after the discovery of Korso's true intentions for them and the Titan. Akima is hurt badly and Cale is forced to work with Korso if he doesn't want the young pilot to suffer anymore than she already has. The crew split up, feelings are strung tight to a breaking point between Cale and Korso...what will happen when the string breaks and all the bottled up emotions are suddenly let out all at once? What will become of the Titan and the humans that have been caught up in her fate?

Disclaimer: I don't own it. If I did, the ending would have been very different!

::Warnings:: How do I put this lightly? ...this story, yes, this one you are reading right here, is a **yaoi** story. A **homosexual male relationship **will blossom and grow with the course of the tale and yes... the relationship will be obvious, it will not be simply hinted at. If you don't like this, don't read it, that's why God invented the 'Back' button. Rating will go up in the future...maybe.

**Special Thanks to**:

jay: Yay! I Update! See?

smokey2307: Thank you so much. I know what you mean, I got tired of looking for a Korso/Cale fic cause I couldn't find ANY. So... I wrote my own. 3

TitanGirl: Thank you. I promise to update again soon.

Crosby Inc.: Thank you. I will continue, don't worry. And I'll update a lot sooner next time. I know I should go back and read through my writings... I'm just lazy.

WickedFun: Start worshiping. Kidding... thanks for the review and compliments though. Really, after you reviewed I realized I hadn't done anything for this story in a long while and decided to start it up again. See, I'd sort of forgotten why I was writing it and even that I had written it. So, I watched Titan A.E. again last night at 2 in the morning, renewed my love for the pairing and started typing again! Thank you!

Chapter Two

He'd heard a thousand times how having his planet blown up can change a man, well, so can being shot in the leg. Showing blatant disapproval and dislike for the captain, Cale had taken his sweet time following Korso through the Valkyrie. Or, he'd like to think he came along so slowly because of his anger towards the older man, but in the back of his mind he knew it was majorly because his leg hurt so damn much. He limped all the way through the hall, wincing and cursing Preed all the way. This sucked! By the time he caught up with Korso, he and Preed had obviously already 'downloaded' all the information they intended Stith and Gune to know. The confused looks that sparked across their faces were enough to give that one away.

"Cale!" Stith exclaimed the moment she saw him, her sharp eyes watching him and taking in his limp with apparent hesitation. "What happened? They're telling us you and Akima got attacked in New Bangkok...?"

Cale visibly hesitated, glancing at Korso who offered little more then an arched eye brow. The blond silently cursed himself, realizing what kind of answer was expected from him. He would have to lie and play along with Korso's sick little games - if he didn't... there was no telling what he'd have Preed do to Akima and the others. Even so, he hated liars and the thought of himself becoming one now, in the faces of two that had never done him any harm and had come to be like a family to him, made him feel nauseous.

Korso shifted his weight from one hip to the other, arms crossed stiffly across his broad chest. His blue eyes were on Cale now, watching the young man struggle with himself. He smirked... Cale was predictable. He was just like his father. Sam Tucker often fought with himself when it came to making a decision between what was necessary and what was right, Korso had seen that same expression on Cale's face now on Sam's many times before. The twisted, torn furrow of a brow and the way soft, understanding eyes would harden and cloud over. Cale was more like his father then Korso had even figured... he wondered if he were to tell Cale this, if it would be welcomed now or refused after what had happened.

Clearing his throat heavily, Korso extracted his arms from across his chest and extended one arm to pat Cale on the back. "Cale...? Tell them what happened, Cale."

The pat jolted Cale from his thoughts and he looked up, meeting a pair of blue eyes and an infuriatingly familiar smirk. The blond flinched away a little, shooting a swift glare at the man... he couldn't stand him anymore. Or, he didn't want to anyway. The fact that Korso had touched him sent a flash of anger into Cale's veins. The blond didn't find it ok anymore, Korso had torn something apart between them with his betrayal, something Cale didn't think could just be repaired so quickly. If it ever ended up fixed between them. And even if it did, he doubted it would ever be the same. Korso had no right to touch him anymore, not in such a friendly manner at least... he'd rather have the man punch him then pat his back.

"Right..." Cale eventually forced out. His voice was tight, the pitch of it a bit lower then normal and he had dropped his gaze from the others. He couldn't look at them as he lied through his teeth, "We got jumped while going out to barter. Shot Akima through the chest... and got me in the leg. They stole the supplies we were carrying and ran off." Cale bit his tongue, "We'd gone down an alley as a shortcut. It was kind of dark so I never saw the guys' faces..."

Stith shared a look with a frantic looking Gune. She had never known Cale to avoid eye contact with anyone when he spoke to them. He held his head high and met the person's eyes no matter what kind of conversation they were having. It seemed odd to her to see him like this now. "...Really?"

Cale nodded briskly.

"Right." Korso clapped the blond on the back again, ignoring the way Cale's entire body seemed to refuse the touch. He was pleased with the boy... for a second there he hadn't though Cale would be able to get through it, but he had done ok. Korso shifted his gaze back to Stith and Gune, his shoulders squaring off a bit more - indicating that he was now in full captain mode. "Akima's in critical condition as of thirty minutes ago. She's unconscious and Preed and me don't expect her to snap out of it for a long while..."

This was news to Cale, who's head immediately lifted to turn enraged eyes on Korso. "Critical? What the hell do you mean by critical?"

Korso lifted a hand to Cale, encouraging him to quiet down. "She's ok for most part, kid. She just lost a lot of blood... we should be thankful that the wound is where it is. Any lower and she wouldn't even be alive. The plasma would have ruptured her heart, killing her immediately."

"Oh yeah," Cale bit out in a tone sharp with venom and sarcasm as he turned his accusing gaze from Korso to Preed and back again, "...I'm so thankful."

The captain sighed, giving Cale a short warning look. "The point is... she just needs to rest. Preed has already agreed to keep constant watch over her..." Korso saw Cale's mouth open to argue, as he had already foreseen that the young man would do, and continued quickly, "Also, I've come to the decision that the team will split into two."

"Split up?" Stith's voice rose incredulously; she had been silent through the majority of Korso's 'speech', but she couldn't hold her tongue any longer after this. She had been watching Cale the entire time, noticing how he flinched and glared and how he seemed to be silently fuming and itching to shout and argue... but something was holding him back from doing so. "Whoa, whoa... how is that gonna help matters?"

Cale watched as Korso's jaw tightened ever so slightly, "It just is."

"But..."

"I'll be taking Cale with me onboard another ship, the Leviathan. It's already been settled and waiting down the dock path for us to board in the morning..." Korso cut in, explaining further, "You and Gune will stay aboard the Valkyrie with Preed and Akima, drifting from colony to colony. Cale and I will continue to the search for the Titan. Once Akima recovers and regains consciousness, I'll send out our location to Gune and you will follow up behind us to the Titan. Understand?"

"No no no...!" Gune chirped in, waving his little arms. That frantic look had only seemed to grow at this point and he looked ready to burst. "Not good! Captain and Cale alone, not good!"

"He's right..." Stith continued, her brows furrowed, "If it's just the two of you on board, the chances of the Drej getting Cale again are almost triple to what they are with all of us together. The risk is too high, splitting up is a bad idea."

"No, it's a fine idea." Korso retorted, "The Drej don't know we'll be splitting up. For all they know, Cale will still be aborad the Valkyrie. If he's on another ship, the risk of his capture goes down..."

"But..." Stith and Gune shared another look, "why now?" Gune nodded furiously, wringing his little hands as Stith continued. "This decision came out of nowhere... what brought it on? Why split up now?"

Cale could see Korso's back stiffen as he stared at Stith.

"Because I'm the captain and I say we split up." His voice never rose and other then an a spark of authority flashing in his eyes, he didn't seem that angry. "Things have happened that I hadn't planned on. This is the only way I can see how to avoid any problems in the future. Got it?"

Stith held her hands up in defeat as she backed down from the argument. "Got it."

"Good. Now, return to your posts..." Korso ordered and Cale watched as he was obeyed. Stith and Gune walked off, the both of them sending confused glances backward to the captain, and Preed just sauntered off to do whatever the hell he did. Cale watched them go, feeling rather helpless at this point.

"Go get some sleep, kid." Korso suggested to Cale as he too turned his back to the blond and started walking off.

"Hey! What...? You're just gonna leave me alone now?" Cale frowned, not understanding as he followed Korso as quickly as his injured leg would let him. "You aren't afraid I wont just jump ship in the middle of the night?"

"No." Korso admitted openly, that smirk of his coloring his voice as he continued down the hall in the direction of his personal quarters. "You're a bright kid, Cale. The way I see it, you should know better then to just run off - especially with Akima in the state she's in. It'd be too easy to have Preed just smother her... being unconscious she wouldn't put up much of a fight."

Cale froze. He'd forgotten about all that.

"See... the risk is too high, isn't it?" Korso chuckled, shaking his head as he stopped to turn back to the still blond. He watched him a moment, blue eyes taking in the sight of the young man - he could pick out each feature of Cale as being one of his father's or mother's. He looked like his mother most, that Korso knew for sure, but... mentally and action wise, Cale was his father. Korso shook his head again, "You Tuckers... never willing to do anything that might hurt someone else. Not even to save your own neck."

Cale frowned, "You're saying that's a bad thing?"

Korso shrugged, "...It'll get you killed a lot earlier in life then you should."

"So you think I'd be better off as a liar?" It was Cale's turn to cross his arms over his chest, his hazel eyes more green then brown at the moment and as sharp and accusing as Korso had ever seen them. "I'd be better off betraying everyone around me just so I can come out 'on top'?"

"You'd live a hell of a lot longer."

"But would I be better off?"

Korso hesitated, dropping his gaze. Lifting it a moment later, the older man shrugged, "I'll let you know when this is all said and through..." The captain turned away again, all calm and poise; in reality, it was the first time that day that Korso had actually second guessed himself. It had lasted for no more then a few seconds, but it had happened and Cale had caused it. Would Cale be better off? Would he himself? "Go get some sleep, Cale. Tomorrow'll be a busy day."

"Not until I get some answers out of you!" Cale snapped, forcing himself forward fast enough to earn himself a bolt of pain shooting up his leg as he caught up to Korso and wrapped his fingers around the older man's forearm. "What the hell are you trying to prove here? That you're the biggest asshole in the universe?"

Korso had to laugh a little at that, "No, Cale."

"Then what? You really think the Drej will pay you for the location of the Titan? Jesus Christ, Korso!" Cale let go of the older man, practically flinging his arm back at him with all the force of his anger. "They'd sooner blast you to Kingdom Come!"

"I'll take my chances."

Cale looked ready to pummel the captain and he ran a rough hand through his blond hair just to keep from doing so. Though he was not sure why he didn't just punch Korso... God knew the man deserved it and more. Feeling frustrated beyond belief, Cale just ended up tugging the gold band from his finger and holding it out to the older man, "Then... just take the damn ring! Let the others go and find the Titan yourself!"

Korso chuckled again, looking from the ring in the young man's palm to his blazing hazel eyes. He shook his head, taking a step forward and plucking the band from Cale's hand. "Can't , Cale. The map is genetically encrypted to your father. Since Sam and I aren't related, it wont work for me..." The older man latched onto Cale's left hand, lifting it and sliding the ring back onto his middle finger despite the blond's protesting. The man just grinned as Cale glared, arching a brow, "Haven't we already been through this, kid?"

Korso let him go and Cale scoffed irritably, flexing his hand a little and looking down at the map glowing in his palm. He made a face, "Can't blame me for trying..."

"No. I guess not." Korso smirked, poking Cale in the chin before turning to head down the hall again. "Stop pouting."

"I'm not pouting!" The blond continued relentlessly after the captain, "I'm angry!"

"Looked like a pout to me."

"Shut up. You're old, you don't see so well as you used to."

Korso just chuckled, stopping when they were a few feet from his door. "Is there a real reason to why you're following me, kid? I understand that you think I'm handling this whole 'black mailing' thing wrong, but honestly... you can go to your own room. You aren't stupid enough to leave unbidden."

"You haven't answered all of my questions yet!"

Korso heaved a heavy sigh, crossing his arms as he turned to Cale once again, "What else do you want to know, Cale?"

The blond slowed his step and stopped, looking the man over. It was hard to think of him as an enemy now. "You said... the Drej don't know we're splitting up. They don't know that I'm going on another ship." He looked Korso hard in the eyes, "Is that true?"

"What do you think?"

"I don't know what to think." Cale shook his head, turning it to the side so he wouldn't have to look at the older man anymore. "Considering everything that's happened today... I think you're lying."

Korso nodded slowly, sighed and shrugged his shoulders lazily, "Then why should I bother to answer? You've obviously already made up your mind about it... it would be pointless for me to try to make you think otherwise."

Cale fell silent. Korso had a point... the blond scowled. Korso always had a point. He scuffed the toe of his boot against the floor, aware that Korso was watching him closely. "Yeah... but, were you?"

Korso didn't answer; watching the blond as he was reminded him back to a time Cale probably hardly remembered if he remembered it at all. Back when the kid really was just a kid. It was almost depressing to look at Cale now and realize just how long ago that time had been - Cale had hardly rose up to his chest back then. He doubted the blond remembered.

The captain shrugged, "Does it matter? Either way, you should know that I've had the Leviathan ready for a split up for a while now. Even if you hadn't found out my plans, you and me were still going on that ship with everyone else staying here on the Valkyrie."

"Really?" Cale looked skeptical, "And how did you plan on getting me to agree? Or did you plan on having Akima shot the entire time to use as leverage and keep me agreeable?"

Korso chuckled, "No, Cale, I never planned on Akima getting hurt."

"Then how were you gonna get me to agree? I might have just said no."

"No you wouldn't have..."

"You don't know that." Cale snapped.

"Yeah, I do." Korso just gave him that annoyingly charming smirk of his, "You trust me. You would have done just about anything I told you to so long as I said it was in everyone's best interest."

"No I wouldn't have."

"Face it , Cale..." Korso reached over and patted the blond's shoulder, gripping it lightly as he smirked. "You idolize me. Even now, you're pissed with me and you still hang off my every word."

Cale glared at the captain, realizing to his extreme embarrassment that the older man was right. He was always right. Not that Cale was about to let him know it. He shrugged off Korso's hand, still not keen on him touching him, scoffing loudly at him as he glared and turned his face away again.

The older man let his hand fall off the younger man's shoulder, just smirking and watching the irritation pulse beneath the other's skin. He could tell from the silence between them that Cale had found some truth to his words and had no way of arguing the fact anymore. The kid idolized him. Korso had known that since before he'd found the blond on Tau-14 with Tek. Cale had been the same way as a child. It was a small comfort, but a comfort nonetheless to see that Cale hadn't really changed all that much in the past fifteen years.

Taking the last few steps to his door, Korso left Cale as he was standing alone in the hall. He chuckled, "Goodnight, Cale."

The blond grumbled moodily, crossing his arms angrily as Korso shut the door behind him. He hated the man. Really. He just hated him sometimes - especially now when he knew he should just beat the crap out of him and scream his anger to everyone, but he couldn't. There was something about him that always kept Cale from just losing it.

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Oh. My. GOD!!!!! I am soooooo sorry to all of you who have ever or our reading this story. I never intended for an update to take so long! I just ran into a lot of problems that kept me from posting. I am sorry and I hope that you will all forgive me.

I promise to have the next chapter out A LOT sooner then this one came out. I love you all!!


	3. Chapter 3

Summary: Cale and Akima didn't escape the Valkyrie after the discovery of Korso's true intentions for them and the Titan. Akima is hurt badly and Cale is forced to work with Korso if he doesn't want the young pilot to suffer anymore than she already has. The crew split up, feelings are strung tight to a breaking point between Cale and Korso...what will happen when the string breaks and all the bottled up emotions are suddenly let out all at once? What will become of the Titan and the humans that have been caught up in her fate?

Disclaimer: I don't own it. If I did, the ending would have been very different!

::Warnings:: How do I put this lightly? ...this story, yes, this one you are reading right here, is a **yaoi** story. A **homosexual male relationship **will blossom and grow with the course of the tale and yes... the relationship will be obvious, it will not be simply hinted at. If you don't like this, don't read it, that's why God invented the 'Back' button. Rating will go up in the future...maybe.

**Special Thanks to**:

jay: I will try my best to get back into this story and finish it. I promise you that. I really like it and I actually _want_ to finish it; I'll write and update it as frequently as I can.

smokey2307:

TitanGirl:

Crosby Inc.:

WickedFun: Well, if anything, things have gotten even more hectic then before, but I'm trying my best to get back into this story.

Lady Draculea: Yeah. I did have it up once before, but then it accidentally got deleted. I was clearing things out, forgot that I actually wanted to continue this story and deleted it. I was so pissed at myself for like a week...

DarkAngelKisses: Yay! I'm so glad you like it! I'm trying to get more chapters out, I'm just so swamped with school and work and everything. If it takes a while between updates, please don't give up on the story because I have no intention of stopping it. Thank you for the review(s).

kaibajoey1: I'll update again ASAP, I swear. I know, it is rather depressing to see the lack of yaoi and slash in this fandom. I don't understand it, what with all the sexual tension I can personally see between Cale and Korso all throughout the movie!

KitsuneyJenfner: Thank you for the review! I'll do my best!

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Chapter Three

The Leviathan wasn't what Cale had expected when he first heard the name of the ship he and Korso were now crossing the loading dock to. He had expected a giant, colossal ship. The kind of ship that would strike fear in to the hearts of anyone misfortunate enough to cross paths with it. Giant guns, shields a bull elephant couldn't break through, shining and threatening no mater how you looked at it. What Cale was seeing, though, as the doors slid open for him and Korso, was quite possibly the exact opposite. The ship was old, very old, and small, smaller then the Valkyrie - half the size of the Valkyrie, if even that.

But the interior of the ship gave off an entirely different feel then that of a small, old ship. From the inside the thing looked as though it was state of the art. Brand new. Cale gawked at the blinking lights and shining metal - it was hard to think of this place as the tiny, space drifting prison Korso was forcing him into when it looked like it did. The blond could hear the gentle hum of working systems from beneath his feet as Korso knowingly walked ahead of him into the control room, flipping switches and pushing buttons on the panels like he knew what he was doing... Cale supposed he did know what he was doing, though, or at least knew more about it then he did. The flashing lights confused him, but Korso's hands worked over them like he had done this a million times before, knew where everything was without having to look first.

Cale grumbled moodily as he watched, arms crossed defensively across his chest. He hated how impressive the man was right now, how impressed he felt while watching him work like the old pro he was.

"There's a kitchenette of sorts down the way," Korso said over his shoulder, not bothering to look at Cale as he spoke, "I had some friends stock it up earlier before we got on board. Go see if they got us anything worth eating."

Cale snorted, "Friends?"

"Believe it or not, I happen to have a few." Korso smirked.

"Right." Cale glared at the back of the captain's head, "What'd you have to do to get them to agree to that? Hold them at gun point?"

The blond watched Korso sigh, shoulders lifting and dropping with the force of it as he shook his head. Almost like he was exasperated by the situation already. "Just go find us some food, Cale." He glanced back at his younger companion, smirking like his old self again when he heard the other turn to do as asked after a moment's hesitation. "And I know how badly you must want to, but try to refrain from poisoning whatever you bring back for me."

Cale just glared at the older man, stomping off and leaving Korso to chuckle and smirk at the blond's expense in the control room. The blond drifted, taking his time with getting around, inspecting everything he came upon - opening doors and peering inside, watching blinking lights and daring to push a few now and then, just to see what would happen. He found two separate sleeping quarters like that, a bathroom between them, navigation, a handful of storage rooms and, eventually, the kitchenette Korso had originally sent him to find. He looked around at first, taking in the sight of all the boxes that had been left sitting around by those 'friends' of Korso's.

The blond sighed, heading over to one of the boxes and crouched down to start rummaging through it in search of something worth eating.

All during his exploration of the Leviathan, Cale couldn't help but notice how quiet it was. Abnormally quiet. The blond swiftly decided he didn't much like it - on the Valkyrie there had always been something going on around him: Stith raising cain about this or that, Gune squawking like the crazy...thing he was, Preed being Preed with his slack-jaw insults, or Akima's -

Cale stopped in the middle of his searching, hands frozen in their grip around a bag of freeze dried vegetables. Akima... Akima with her fascination in human gadgets, sharp tongue, and beautiful smile. It'd only been a day and he already missed her. Guilt weighed him down - he should have gotten her to the door faster, should have stopped Preed, he should have protected her better. If nothing else, he should be trying to stop Korso somehow now, but instead he was hunting down something for the traitor to eat while he prepared the ship for take-off.

The blond scowled, throwing the bag he held back in the box angrily. He was disgusted with himself. What was he doing? Korso was the enemy now, not the older man he looked up to anymore. It was a disgrace to Akima to not be making this man's life a living hell after what he's done.

"Bastard..." Cale grit out, kicking a box over and jarring his wounded leg as he stormed out of the kitchenette and straight into Korso.

"Hey," Korso's grin only made Cale's scowl deepen, "nothing worth eating or you just get lost?"

"Get it yourself, asshole." Cale snapped, shoving past Korso in the direction of one of those sleeping quarters he had found earlier. He ignored the way Korso watched him walk away, scowling, and locking the door down once he was in the room he had decided was his upon entering.

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Cale didn't hear another sound from Korso throughout the afternoon and into the evening, keeping himself locked up in his new room so he wouldn't have to even see the older man. It was juvenile of him, he knew, but maturity was the last thing on his mind at the moment. More important things were filling his head, things like Akima and how she and the rest of the crew were fairing back on the Valkyrie - he doubted he'd be hearing from them again anytime soon, if he did ever again. And he prayed Akima was well, prayed nothing had happened to complicate her wound. He prayed Stith would make good on her words and seriously kill Preed... the traitor deserved as much in Cale's opinion.

Lifting his hand to stare at the gold band on his finger, Cale felt a heavy sigh leave his chest. Giving pause to really think about this whole situation, Cale realized with a heavy sinking of his heart that this was all his fault. Akima was hurt, possibly dying, all because of him and the damnable ring he wore. If he wasn't around there would be no map, no Korso betraying them all, no Drej hot on their trail.

"I should just get rid of it..." Cale spoke aloud to himself, frowning at the seemingly innocent band of gold that was causing so much distress.

He nodded to himself; yes... he should just get rid of it. He should throw it away. If he threw it away there would be no map, no way to find the Titan, no reason left for Korso to be in cahoots with the Drej. If he got rid of the ring, everything could go back to the way it was - Akima could get the help she needed, she and Cale could be together again. That and he and Korso could be pals again, like before. Sitting around, drinking and talking about stupid things that didn't matter, but seemed so important while they talked about them like they once had...

"No. What the hell am I thinking?" Cale asked himself, sitting up and twisting the ring around on his middle finger. He ran a rough hand through his blond hair, tugging on the thick strands. "Things would never be the same. Even if I got rid of the ring, things wouldn't be the same."

Cale felt himself frowning at this, actually really quite saddened by the realization. It seemed so wrong, so alien to feel obligated to think of Korso as an enemy, as the bad guy. He hated it. But, even if he got rid of the source of the problem at hand, new ones would erupt in its place. If he got rid of the ring, got rid of the map, the Titan would be lost forever - Akima would probably hate him for throwing away humanity's last hope, and the Drej wouldn't stop pursuing them just because he'd gotten rid of the ring. No, they would probably double their efforts out of anger, kill them all for spite. And then there was the problem with Korso himself... Cale knew better then to think that by throwing out the ring Korso would suddenly change his mind and just be ok with it. He'd be furious! The man wanted his money, his riches, far too badly to just turn the other cheek while Cale tossed the key to his success out with the trash.

Then there was the issue of just how he would have gotten rid of the thing in the first place.

"Can't just hide it. Korso's too smart to never find it." He sighed, scowling at the map glowing on his palm as he thought aloud, "Can't give it away. No telling who'd get a hold of it or who'd they give it to for the right price..."

"Could always have it jettisoned," He reasoned, brows lifting over hazel eyes as he said it. He yanked off the ring, letting it roll in his palm a moment while he considered, "Doubt anyone'd ever find it. Universe is too big to go looking for it anyway. Where would someone even start...?"

He sighed, slipping the band back onto his finger and looking at the map intensely, like it held more then the location of the Titan. Like it might tell him what to do next, how to solve this problem of his. It didn't tell him anything, not that he had figured it actually would... his father had been a smart man, he'd been told so by so many, but he couldn't have been smart enough to know his son would end up like this. There was no hidden secret to making things end happily for him glowing on his palm.

"Jettison. Yeah. I guess that's how I'd do it..." He nodded to himself, laying back on his bunk and staring up at the ceiling of his quarters. Not that he had the guts to ever actually go through with it.

Cale snorted harshly to himself, rubbing his palms over his face with a groan. "Jesus, now I'm talking to myself. I must be worse off then I thought."

Not really. He was fine all around - his leg still hurt, pulsed when he strained it now and then, but he was fine otherwise. Physically. The silence around him, though, was starting to have an effect on him. Even back on Tau-14 he'd never felt this alone before. At least back then he'd had Tek around to keep him company, but now... locking himself away to avoid Korso as they drifted off towards the Andali Nebula, to the place the map had pointed them to while on Sesharrim with the Gaoul, Cale felt utterly alone.

He didn't like it. Being lonely messed with his head and that was never a good thing.

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